Relaxation at its Best
by Shin Sankai
Summary: Its raining, the Hachiyou have been given a days rest so what does Tachibana no Tomomasa do? Why go visit Fujiwara no Takamichi of course! My First try at Harukanaru and the 'Tomomasa x Takamichi' pairing.


**Relaxation at its Best **

**By: Shin Sankai**

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Authors Notes: Ano, truth be told I have not watched 'Harukanaru' in over a year. Though I should get back into it now that I wish to write more for one of my favourite pairings, which does happen to be Tomomasa and Takamichi. This story was in fact inspired by one that my Oneesan wrote, though I don't believe it has been posted yet. I hope someone out there that is a 'Tomomichi' fan somehow enjoys this.

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It was raining throughout the land of Kyou and though this was the current case, a lone figure walked amongst it, no sign of an umbrella above his head. His usual wavy teal coloured hair was drenched, the mass falling heavily against his back. He was currently headed towards a most familiar home. The man's ever-smiling eyes, the colour matching that of his hair, came upon the place he'd been walking to and his head tilted instantly to the side when the one he'd been thinking of walked out onto the porch. 

The ever-polite Fujiwara no Takamichi had his bespectacled eyes focused on yet another book. There wasn't a day that went by that the young Vice Minister didn't have a book or scroll within his slender hands. Well, except if there was a battle of some kind that he insisted on being part of it – especially when it had to do with the Ryuujin no Miko.

General Tachibana no Tomomasa headed towards the private home belonging to that of Vice Minister Takamichi and smiled a small smile when he watched the ever-indulgent Takamichi walk around his porch lining his entire home. It was evident he was truly lost in whatever material lay inside for the simple reason he did not notice Tomomasa standing on the steps nor did he realise he was now walking around the porch for a second time.

It wasn't until Tomomasa stood onto the wooden floorboards of the porch, tapping his fan against the forehead of the shorter man. He'd surprised the 19 year old as he'd stepped back, book flat against his chest as slightly wide amber-gold eyes blinked up at him.

"T-Tomomasa-dono…" The man in question grinned across at one of his hachiyou partners, deftly drawing back his unfolded fan to tap against his chin.

"Lost in yet another book I see."

"I was…"

"You were on your third run around your porch." The General watched the Vice Minister's lips close, not being able to finish whatever excuse he was going to voice.

"What exactly are you doing here Tomomasa-dono? I was under the impression that I wouldn't be needed today because of the weather."

"This is very true, you have permission from the Emperor as do all the others to relax today after all." Tomomasa curtly replied and continued to stare down at the man in front of him. It was obvious by the untidiness in which Takamichi currently looked; he confirmed that the man had not gotten an ounce of sleep so far. "Is it wrong of me to come and see you? Why if I am disturbing you, I can leave." By now Tomomasa had flicked his fan open, hiding his knowing smile behind it. If there was one thing he truly enjoyed about the man in front of him, it was how easily he could pretend to be offended by his words. Takamichi was such a gentle soul who could never deny the company of others…and Tomomasa was well aware of this.

"O-Of course not!" The young Vice Minister proclaimed, snapping his book shut, his hands coming up to absently flick loose strands of hair over his shoulders. "Please, come inside." It also helped Tomomasa in his soft speeches to Takamichi that the younger man looked up to him, perhaps even admired him in some cryptic way. As teal coloured orbs observed Takamichi step back into his home, shuffling bits and pieces around, it was then that warm amber-gold flecks directed their gaze back over to him to realise that not only had he not entered his home, but had also found the obvious reason why. "Tomomasa-dono!" He could see the beginning of a frown edging out across Takamichi's forehead.

"Hai?" His fan was once again folded and latched within the belt of his robes.

"Look at the state of you! How on earth could you have forgotten to bring an umbrella if you were coming all this way to visit me?" Tomomasa tilted his head as he quietly listened to Takamichi's ranting. The gentle hachiyou was usually in control of his actions, but on rare occasions such as these, Tomomasa felt honoured that he only witnessed such a rarity. The 19 year old had strutted over, a light scowl marring his face. The dark green haired man looked up into the smiling eyes of the one who'd seemed to grown an odd interest in him. "With all that is going on in Kyou we needn't have you catch a cold. Now take these and get changed."

"Hai, hai Takamichi-kun." As Tomomasa strolled passed he caught the soft flush in the very cheeks he'd caressed long ago. It at least felt like it was long ago in any case. So many events had been taking place in the land of Kyou that the General was unable to always come and see how Fujiwara no Takamichi was fairing.

Looking down at the items in his hands, Tomomasa found one of Takamichi's spare yukata's and a towel to dry himself with. He would do as the younger man "ordered" of him. Stripping off his clothes, patting areas slightly dry and wondering whether amber-gold orbs were watching him do so, the General slipped into the crisp light material of the beige yukata and tied it effortlessly closed. It stretched against his broad chest, parting to reveal his muscular tanned torso beneath, as he and Takamichi were not of the same build.

"Really Tomomasa-dono, must you be such a slob?" Takamichi had wandered on over, picking up the General's drenched clothing from the ground, so it would not dampen his floorboards too much and he headed off towards the other side of his home, lying the garments against the porch hoping for them to dry soon.

"You wouldn't happen to have any sake would you Takamichi-kun?" He watched shoulders jolt slightly at the softness in which his name was called.

"Perhaps…" Was the only answer Tomomasa received.

Tomomasa let off a light sigh and headed back towards the shoji leading into the larger room of Takamichi's home. It contained several bookshelves, his writing desk where a lantern was currently lit and to his surprise his large single futon was currently rolled out, but had obviously not been used yet.

Instead of sitting out on the porch, where he could possibly get Takamichi's yukata wet, the General descended to the ground, sitting near the opened shoji and placing his left shoulder against the wall of the house. He had one knee raised, beige material parting away to reveal one bare leg as he leaned his forearm against it and tapped his fan nonchalantly against his chin, eyes currently mesmerized by the way water trailed down the soft pink petals of flowers.

"Tomomasa-dono?"

"Mm?" Amber-gold and teal caught each other as Takamichi presented Tomomasa with a small tray containing a sake bottle and a single cup. "Ah, arigatou." The Vice Minister nodded his head and walked off, heading back towards his desk, sitting on his stool and prying open a scroll, eyes and fingers scanning the writing within it. "Won't you join me Takamichi-kun?" By now the younger Hachiyou member had suddenly gotten used to the different suffix at the end of his name and quietly shook his head, already lost in thought. "Ah, more for me then." The General quietly mumbled and poured himself a cup of sake, toasting it to the heavens before downing it in a single gulp.

The rumbles of thunder dispersing through the sky only ever broke the silence within Takamichi's home. Though he was granted a day off, just like the other Hachiyou, Takamichi was never really one to relax unless forced to. He'd been forced to, several times in fact by the very man sitting beside his opened shoji, but today it appeared the General was not going to do just that. It made Takamichi feel…strange. The green haired Vice Minister sat up on his stool, adjusting his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose and stole a quick glance at Tomomasa. Just looking over at the relaxed General made Takamichi frown once more.

"Didn't I tell you to dry yourself Tomomasa-dono?"

"Mm?" It appeared he'd knocked the older Byakko possessor from thoughts as well.

"I told you to dry yourself. This also happens to include your hair you know." The younger Byakko possessor padded over, his fingers gliding to pick up the previously discarded towel as he knelt up on his knees behind the General and ran the towel against his drenched locks of hair which had begun to dampen the back of the yukata. "Sometimes you seem far too careless for a General."

"Perhaps this is true. Maybe that is why I need the ever observant Vice Minister at my side, to scold me every now and then and take care of me." Takamichi stopped his ministrations for a moment; those words circling his mind before he absently began to dry Tomomasa's locks of teal coloured hair. As he pat the mass of locks dry, several strands began to curl at the ends.

"Don't try and make excuses for your absentmindedness." For the first time in quite sometime the room was filled with soft chuckles. At the sound Takamichi's shoulders lost some of their guarded tension around the General. He just never knew what the man would do next. "There, you should be fine now." He stood up, ready to turn away and get back to his writing when the poor unsuspecting Takamichi was literally pulled off his feet. There'd been a surprised clasp of his wrist and then a swift tug. In seconds his knees had smarted against his floorboards and his thinner frame of his torso smacked against Tomomasa's broad shoulders and the back of his head region.

"T-Tomomasa…dono…" The swiftness in which the General could portray was quite frightening at times to the Vice Minister. He was certain the older Hachiyou could hear his heartbeat thump within his ribcage and it wasn't just for the sudden shock of being brought to his knees. The palm of his hand, where Tomomasa had taken hold of his wrist was splayed against warm taut skin belonging to Tomomasa himself. If Takamichi concentrated he was certain he could feel the beat of Tomomasa's heart beneath the palm of his hand. With the scent of rain, mixed with the hearty smell of flowers, a scent truly unique to the General and the light bitterness of sake, Takamichi couldn't help but close his amber-gold eyes, his head pressing against the top of Tomomasa's.

The two had no idea how long they stayed that way, Takamichi's hand splayed against Tomomasa's chest and his own pressed on top of it to keep it there. This moment was one of the first in a long time where he felt most at ease with the world around them. It felt good to have the incense scented Takamichi leaning heavily into his back, his warm breath fanning against his ear. It was then that a glimpse of green caught the corner of Tomomasa's teal orbs. The General found locks of forest green hair kissing the side of his face. Placing down his sake cup he picked up the lock of hair, twirling the long strands through his fingers. The silky smoothness was just as he remembered it to be. It also reminded him of the feel of unblemished milky skin.

The tranquil moment broke when Tomomasa felt the young Vice Minister shift slightly against him. Surely it couldn't be comfortable sitting up on your knees for all this time. Letting out a light sigh and with slight regret, Tomomasa removed his hold on Takamichi's hand.

"I should let you get back to whatever it was you were doing."

"Eh?" Clearly this had not been what Takamichi thought the 31 year old would say to him at such a time.

"If it is alright with you, may I stay a little longer? I can wait till you finish." This had been one of the many characteristics Takamichi felt drawn to within Tomomasa. He was quite the flirtatious man, both with men and women, but no matter whom he was with there was an utmost caring side about him, a side where he would not interfere with whatever he had previously interrupted. Or at least he tried not to.

"Ah, yes, I should get back to what I was doing." Takamichi stumbled slightly away, the touch of Tomomasa having relaxed and excited him all at once. He'd been on edge about some of his readings and truthfully had wanted to seek out the General in order to calm himself down some but was thankful that the very man had come to him instead. "Please, stay as long as you like."

"Is forever alright?" Takamichi couldn't help but roll his eyes as he nudged his glasses up the bridge of his nose once more.

"I truly do not have time for your nonsense Tomomasa-dono." And there it was, the moment ruined as Takamichi once more hid behind that straight laced face he used when he was in his Vice Minister role. He deftly sat back down on his stool, his pen inked and ready to record his research.

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Takamichi stretched on his stool, hands lifting above his head to work the kinks out of his shoulders. He rubbed his eyelids, removing his glasses from the bridge of his nose and blinked at the blurred edges of his eyes as he noticed the fading candlelight from his lantern. He debated whether he should get more oil for it and open another scroll when his attention was directed towards a soft thump near his shoji. It is there he saw the General lying on his side. Instantly Takamichi rose from his stool, his tabi covered feet taking him directly to Tomomasa. It didn't take him long to realise the older man had only fallen asleep. Once more Takamichi let off a sigh and with as much strength as he could muster, he pulled the slumbering Tomomasa towards his futon, practically dropping him onto the soft plush material as he huffed for breath. Either he needed to work out with some of the other Hachiyou, perhaps Minamoto no Yorihisa or Tomomasa needed to go on a diet.

He left the overly handsome Tomomasa to slumber as he strolled into another room to change his clothes. He dressed into a matching yukata like the one he gave Tomomasa and placed his kimono and robes into the hamper, which would be collected tomorrow in order for his clothes to be washed. The Vice Minister padded bare foot back into the main room, hands lifting up to remove the loose tie from his hair, flicking his long strands loose as they splayed against his slender back, falling to rest against his rear. It wasn't until he closed the shoji, blocking off the sudden chill within the air, since the rain was still falling – coming down in a heavy torrent – did he turn his orbs towards his futon, those very eyes widening as he looked Tomomasa over.

The General was sprawled on his back; masses of teal hair strewn across the soft pillow his head lay on while his arms were out to his sides. What had made Takamichi's eyes widen was the way in which Tomomasa seemed to sleep. His legs were spread, the beige yukata parting at mid thigh as it bared more of the man to his observing eyes. He brought in deep calming breaths through parted lips, his cheeks a soft hue of light pink obviously from the empty sake bottle he'd downed in seconds.

On soundless footsteps Takamichi knelt by Tomomasa's side, unashamed to look upon the sleeping man that made him feel far too many things all at once. He'd often wondered how such a man, so beautifully perfect during the day, dressed so handsomely in flower covered kimono and robes could look so shameless in sleep. Takamichi shook his head knowing he could never wake the General from any sort of slumber since he knew how hard the man worked and went to pull the blanket over his form when all thoughts were lost as his heart leapt into his throat when teal coloured orbs snapped open, hands reaching out to him all of a sudden and before the younger Hachiyou knew it, he was knocked onto his back, breath gasping from his lungs at the movement.

He blinked widely up at the handsome and annoyingly smiling face of Tomomasa and felt his body shiver slightly at the look held within those very eyes. It was then the Vice Minister figured out he had just been teased and lured into Tachibana no Tomomasa's trap. Though he felt his eyes narrow, his heart sped up as the General rested on his left arm, his right picking up strands of his hair once more to entwine them around his fingers.

"You do always look exceptionally good when your hair is down Takamichi." His name spoken so softly, so closely to his lips and without any form of suffix against it made Takamichi flush deeply. "Lets say we relax together ne?" As his heartbeat fastened, his breath hitched in his throat when the all-knowing General got control over him as their lips met in a possessive caress, of remembrance from the last time this had occurred and the promise to bring forth much more.

As Tomomasa's right hand trailed smoothly, expertly down Takamichi's chest, fingers tracing across the shivering abdomen, the room plummeted into darkness. The lantern had finally run out of oil.

The drumming of the rain overhead would covertly cover the murmur of words, the whimper of a plea. Laboured breaths and the thrills of ecstasy were sure to follow soon enough.

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**End.**


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